


Love of a Father

by myrlendi (thehistorygeek)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Father Figures, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Fatherhood, Gen, Rey Skywalker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-11-14 05:30:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11201442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehistorygeek/pseuds/myrlendi
Summary: Simple moments between fathers and their children, and contemplations of fatherhood.





	Love of a Father

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Father's Day!
> 
> For my own dad, who was a life-long Star Wars fan.

Anakin sighed. Outside, Coruscant bustled with its usual activity, but in the living room of Padmé’s apartment, all was peaceful. He leaned back, resting his head on the back of the couch, and beside him, Padmé looked up from whatever article she had been reading on her datapad, a small crease appearing in her forehead as her eyebrows drew together.

“Is everything alright?” she asked. She lowered her datapad, resting it in her lap. Her stomach, swathed in the sheer fabric of her gown, was just beginning to swell, noticeable only if one knew to look.

Anakin looked at her, and after a moment he smiled. She looked radiant, bathed in the warm glow of the setting Coruscant sun. Looking at her, he was filled with an overwhelming feeling of love, for her and for the child she carried — his child. “I was only thinking,” he said, leaning over and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Padmé reached up, her hand trailing through his hair. “What were you thinking about?” she asked.

“You.” His flesh hand settled on her stomach. “And the baby.”

A smile stretched across Padmé’s face. “I’ve been thinking about names,” she said, pulling her feet up onto the couch and tucking them underneath herself. “What do you think of Lio, for a boy?”

Anakin pondered the name for a moment, before nodding. “It’s nice,” he agreed. “What about for a girl?”

“Sila,” Padmé answered, with almost no hesitation, “for my grandmother. Or perhaps Leia — I’ve always loved the name Leia.”

Anakin’s smile widened. “Leia,” he repeated, feeling the syllables tumble off his tongue. “I like it.”

“What about you?” Padmé asked. “Have you thought of any potential names?”

“No.” Anakin shook his head. “Not yet. I hadn’t even thought about names.”

Padmé rested her elbow on the back of the couch, propping her head up as she looked at him. She seemed to hesitate a moment before asking, “What about Shmi? After your mother?”

Grief stabbed through Anakin’s heart at the mention of his mother’s name, and the smile slipped slowly from his face. He shook his head, forcing a quiet laugh. “My mother always hated her name,” he said. “She thought it sounded ugly. I… I don’t think she would have been pleased to learn I gave it to her granddaughter.”

Padmé reached out, resting her hand on his arm and rubbing it soothingly. “Then perhaps not.” She paused, a small frown tugging at her lips. “Are you doing alright, Ani?”

“What do you mean?”

“You seem… stressed, and I worry about you. You know I do, what with the war…” She trailed off, letting out a soft sigh. “I can see that your mother’s death still hurts you, and that hurts _me_. I just want to take away your pain.” Her hand travelled up to his face, cupping his cheek in her palm; her thumb ghosted over the scar that hung below his eye.

“I’m alright, Padmé,” Anakin said, placing his own hand over hers. “I promise.” He smiled, trying to reassure her, and pressed a kiss, feather-light, to the tips of her fingers. She let herself smile then as well, placing her own kiss on top of his lips.

“I love you,” Padmé whispered, her mouth inches from his.

“I love you, too.”

A calming silence settled between them. Padmé rested her head on Anakin’s shoulder, her eyes slipping closed as Coruscant Prime continued to set, dipping closer and closer to the horizon. Despite this peace, Anakin felt disquieted, his feelings steeped in uncertainty.

“Padmé,” he said after several minutes had passed, his voice barely louder than a whisper. She lifted her head to look at him and he hesitated, only for a moment, before continuing, “Do you think I will be a good father?”

“What? Ani, of course I do.” She sat up, shifting so that she was facing him completely. “Is that what’s been bothering you?”

“In part,” he admitted. “It’s only that… I never had a father. I have no idea what I’m supposed to do.”

“You don’t need to have had a father to know how to be one,” Padmé said. Her tone was gentle as she spoke, comforting and reassuring.

“I just want to do what’s right. For you and the baby.”

“And you will.” She took his hand, the one made of flesh and bone, and held it tight between hers. “Ani, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think you would be a good father. But you will be, I promise. Eventually, the war will end, and we’ll be able to be together as a family.”

Anakin gave her a small smile, but he still felt so unsure. He had never imagined himself as a father, not until the moment Padmé had told him she was pregnant. Despite her assurances, he still didn’t know if he would be a good parent or not, and that thought terrified him, more than almost anything else.

He dearly hoped she was right.

◊◊◊

Jyn hated Lah’mu.

It was damp and cold and boring, with nothing to do but sit around and play by herself. Mama and Papa were always busy; Papa said they lived on a farm now, and so there were always lots of chores to do. Living on Lah’mu wasn’t like living on Coruscant — they needed to grow their own food and even make their own water. The only good thing about it all was that she saw Papa a lot more than she had on Coruscant. Him and Mama were the only other people she _ever_ saw, and Jyn wasn’t even sure there was anybody else living on Lah’mu at all.  

Letting out a huff, she fell back onto the ground, her arms spreading out beside her. She was in the wide field of vibrant green grass that surrounded the house, and if she tilted her head back far enough she could see the tips of the moisture vaporators that they used to get water. Koodie and Stormie both lay beside her; they were sleeping, she decided, taking their afternoon nap. Up above, the sky was cloudy, like it always was, and the black soil she was lying on was damp, moistening the back of her jacket. She didn’t think she had ever seen the sun shining here.

“Jyn! Jyn!” Papa’s voice sounded from behind her and she sat up, twisting so that she could see him.

“Yes, Papa?” she replied, not wanting to yell in case she woke up Koodie and Stormie.

“What are you doing over there?” Papa asked, coming up the hill from the house.

“I’m lying down,” Jyn answered; she had thought that was obvious. “Koodie and Stormie are sleeping.”

“Ah, I see.” Papa walked over to where she was sitting, crouching down beside her in the tall grass.

“They’re tired after playing,” she explained, pointing to where her two dolls rested together on the ground. “We pretended we were fighting in space. But then they fell asleep, and I’m bored now.” She sighed, a deep frown tugging at her face. “Papa, I don’t like Lah’mu.”

“Oh, it’s not so bad,” Papa said, tweaking her cheek playfully.

She swatted his hand away, huffing with annoyance. “No, it is! It’s boring!”

Papa smiled. “Well, supper should be ready soon, but until then, why don’t we play a game together, you and me?”

Jyn straightened, her frown quickly disappearing. “Really?” She loved playing with Papa, even though he wasn’t always the best at pretending. Papa nodded, and a wide smile stretched across her face. “Yes!” she cried, forgetting entirely about her sleeping dolls as she clambered to her feet. “What should we play?”  

Papa thought for a moment. “Why don’t we pretend we’re explorers?” he suggested, and Jyn nodded; that sounded like it could be fun.

“And we’re the first ones here _ever_ ,” she said. She reached up and took his hand, tugging him away from the farm towards the black stony hills that covered the landscape, a story already taking shape within her mind. “Our ship crashed because there are bad guys after us and we have to hide from them before they get us. I have a pet tooka-cat named Seevy and you can be my droid.”

Papa laughed. “Well, alright, then.” He cleared his throat, altering his voice to sound mechanic and automated, like an old droid. “What is my name, Mistress Jyn?” he asked.

She giggled, pulling on his hand excitedly. “You’re Qark!”

“And what type of droid am I?”

“An explorer droid!”

“I have not heard of any other explorer droids,” Papa said, looking concerned and tilting his head from side to side, as if confused.

“That’s because there aren’t very many of you,” Jyn said, a very matter-of-fact tone in her voice. “You’re very expensive.”

“Oh, I see.”

She took the lead, marching ahead as if she really were forging the way on some strange new planet. Papa followed her diligently, his arms and legs moving stiffly and awkwardly as if he was a real droid. They clambered up hills, loose stones tumbling away beneath their feet. Papa took “samples” of every plant and rock they found, pretending to test them in his own little portable laboratory. He stuck his finger into a small stream that they stumbled across, beeping and booping for several seconds before announcing that the water was much too full of minerals to be drinkable.

“What’re minerals?” Jyn asked, crouching down to peer into the water. It looked fine to her, clear and cool to the touch, just like the water they got from the vaporators.

“They come from the ground,” Papa explained, his droid voice slipping away. “They’re like… rocks. Tiny, tiny bits and pieces of them get mixed in with the water, and too much of them is bad. They can make the water taste funny, and can make you sick if you drink it. That’s why we have the vaporators.”

Jyn nodded. She dipped her hands into the water, feeling the current as it passed over her fingers. She couldn’t feel or see any pieces of rocks in the water, but if Papa said they were there, then she believed him.  

Papa stood, and Jyn did the same, wiping her hands dry on her pants. “Let’s keep going!” she announced, pointing upstream and setting off again at a steady march. “We have a _whole planet_ to explore!”

“Lead the way, Mistress Jyn,” Papa said, his droid voice back in place as he began hobbling after her.

She laughed, a wide grin spread across her face, the damp and boring Lah’mu from earlier entirely forgotten.

◊◊◊

Leia stood in front of her bedroom mirror, staring darkly at her reflection. Her hair was done up into elaborate braids that tugged painfully at her scalp, and she had been squeezed into an itchy white dress with sleeves that were way too long. She hated how it looked. It had been less than twenty minutes since her aunts had forced her into the outfit, and already she wanted to tear it off. She hoped Mama and Papa wouldn’t make her stay at the party for too long.

There was a quiet knock on her door, and then it slid open to reveal Papa standing in the hallway. He was dressed in his finest uniform, his beard trimmed and his hair neatly combed. He gave her a small smile, and she scowled at him in return.

“My, what a terrifying expression,” Papa mused, laughing. “What has you so grumpy this evening?”

Leia got the sense that he was teasing her; he knew very well what was making her so grumpy, but she wouldn’t pass up another opportunity to complain about. “The party,” she said, stomping over and sitting herself down on her bed. “I don’t want to go.”

Papa stepped into the room, walking over to sit beside her. “And why is that?” he asked.

“Because they’re always so _boring_.” Leia had the urge to flop onto her back, but that would ruin the hairstyle her aunts had spent half an hour on, which would make them _very_ mad, so she refrained. “There’s never anything to do. The only thing the adults talk about is politics, and all the other kids are absolutely awful.” She paused, glaring at her feet in their too-tight shoes. “And I _hate_ dancing.”

“Unfortunately, there isn’t much that I can do about any of that,” Papa said, though his voice was sympathetic. “It’s all part of your duty as Alderaan’s Crown Princess — you know that.”

Leia scrunched her face up in distaste. “I didn’t ask to be a princess…” she mumbled.

Papa laughed. “I think you are the only little girl in the galaxy who doesn’t want to be a princess,” he said, placing his arm over her shoulders and giving her a gentle squeeze. “I know it isn’t often enjoyable, but you cannot avoid your duties just because they aren’t _fun_. Trust me, there are many events that I wish I didn’t have to go to, but that’s part of being a leader, and one day, Leia, you will lead all of Alderaan.”

She nodded. She’d heard all of this before, from Papa and Mama and her tutors — she knew her duty, but that didn’t make it any less boring. “I understand, Papa,” she said.

“You won’t have to be there the whole time, I promise,” he told her. “And I’ll make sure your mother doesn’t force you to dance _too_ much.”

Leia smiled. “Thank you.”

Papa leaned back a bit, his hand still on her shoulder. “Why don’t I teach you a game, before we go down?” he suggested. “It will help to make the party much less boring.”

“What kind of game?” Leia asked, straightening so that she could pay attention. She loved to play games, though she often didn’t have time to, and when she did there usually wasn’t anyone for her to play with. Anything to make the party more fun was very much welcome.

“Pretend you are not really a princess,” Papa said. “Instead, pretend that you’re _undercover_ as a princess.”

Leia’s eyebrows show up. “Like a spy?”

“Exactly like a spy.” Papa nodded. “Act like you have to convince all the party guests that you’re real royalty.”

She frowned; in all honestly, she was a bit skeptical about it all. It sounded a lot like a ruse to get her to behave properly. But, she had to admit, it did seem like it could be interesting, and she had no doubt it would keep her occupied for at least some of the party. “Why do I have to pretend to be a princess?” she asked.

Papa shrugged. “Maybe you need the nobles to trust you,” he suggested. “You want to learn their secrets, or stop some nefarious scheme that they’re plotting.” He raised his eyebrows at her, and she smiled — she could work with that.

Standing, Papa stretched his hand out towards her. “Now, I do believe it’s time for us to make our way down to the party,” he said, “before they send guards up looking for us.” Leia took his offered hand, hopping down off her bed. She still wasn’t very excited about the party, but she was dreading it a bit less now. If she tried, she might even be able to get Papa in on her pretending, which would make it all the more fun.

She held onto Papa’s hand, walking along beside him as he led them out into the hallway and down towards the ballroom. People turned to watch as they descended the stairs into the ballroom, and Leia slowed her pace, lifting her head and giving everyone a wide smile.

She was a princess, after all.

◊◊◊

Luke was jolted awake in the early hours of the morning by the sudden sound of his door opening. Light came flooding into his room from the hallway, and he frowned, turning over onto his stomach to bury his face in his pillows.

“Luke.” He heard Uncle Owen step into his room, placing a hand on his shoulder and shaking him. “Come on, wake up.”

“Too tired…” Luke grumbled, and Uncle Owen sighed. The next thing Luke knew, his blanket was being torn off of him, sending a blast of chilly air right at him. He let out an aggravated groan and sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he glared at his uncle. “Why are you waking me up so early?” he asked.  

“Get dressed,” Uncle Owen said, sounding much too pleased for how early in the day it was — the first sun had only just begun its ascent. “Quickly. I have something to show you.”

Luke grudgingly got out of bed, and Uncle Owen left him to get dressed. Once he was properly clothed, he wandered out into the hallway, following the sound of clinking dishes to where Uncle Owen stood in the kitchen, fixing up some breakfast.

“What is this all about?” Luke asked, stifling a yawn. He was used to getting up early to do chores, but not quite _this_ early.

“An early surprise for your birthday,” Uncle Owen said. He passed Luke a plate of food and led him to the dining room, where they both sat down at the table. “I wanted to give it to you before we start working for the day.”

Luke perked up at that — an early present? His birthday wasn’t for another couple of weeks, and usually his gifts weren’t anything special; just small things, like little trinkets and toys. But from what Uncle Owen was saying, this present seemed to be much bigger than a starfighter model.

He scarfed down his breakfast, his exhaustion overshadowed by excitement. When they were both finished, Uncle Owen took their dishes back to the kitchen and told Luke to follow him. He did so eagerly, trailing after Uncle Owen as he led him through the house and up the stairs to the surface. The second sun had started rising while they ate, casting the world in a warm, soft glow, and Luke could already feel the nighttime chill leeching from the air.

He hardly noticed any of that, however — all he could notice was the T-16 skyhopper docked on the hard-packed, dusty earth a few metres in front of him. He paused near the doorway to the entry dome, his mouth open in shock as he stared first at the skyhopper and then at his uncle.

Uncle Owen smiled, looking quite pleased with himself. “Happy birthday.”

“It’s… it’s mine?” Luke asked, and Uncle Owen nodded. Luke took a few steps towards the skyhopper, marvelling at it. It wasn’t much to look at, old, rusty, and beaten-up as it was. He placed his hand against the hull; it was dented in several places, and he could already see there were a few parts missing. But it was _his_.  

“It’s flyable,” Uncle Owen said, “but only just. It’ll definitely need to be fixed up, but don’t worry. I’ll help you with all that.” He clapped his hand on Luke’s shoulder, and Luke spun around, throwing his arms around him in a hug.

“Thank you so much, Uncle Owen,” he said. “This is the best present ever.”

Uncle Owen flew it down to the garage; Luke couldn’t really fly, not yet, though he had flown Biggs’s T-16 before. Still, Uncle Owen didn’t trust his skills enough to dock an unreliable skyhopper in the garage without crashing. Luke ran back inside to meet him and, though there were chores to be done before work could be started on it, Uncle Owen let him sit in the cockpit for a few minutes, flipping toggles and pushing buttons as if he was really flying.

They worked on the skyhopper for weeks. Luke used what little money he had to help pay for new parts, though thankfully they were able to get most of the already-existing components into working order. They didn’t bother with any dents or scratches on the hull — they were purely cosmetic, and it was probably just going to get beat up anyways. It took a while to get the ion engine fixed up and to a point where it was less likely to spontaneously break down, though even then, it wasn’t as good as it could be. Uncle Owen suspected they would have to replace it completely in a few years, and Luke made a mental note to start saving up for that.

It was a long project, but Luke actually enjoyed it. Most of the time Uncle Owen was there with him, helping him along and doing some of the more difficult and complicated tasks that he couldn’t quite handle yet. It didn’t feel like a chore, like working on the vaporators did, and Uncle Owen seemed much more pleasant when they were fixing the skyhopper — less quick to anger.

Eventually, they got it safe enough to fly. Luke begged Uncle Owen to let him take it out for a ride, and after several days he finally conceded. He flew it out of the garage to a wide, empty stretch of the salt flat, and then it was all Luke’s. Uncle Owen had gone over the start-up sequence with him multiple times, and Luke still mostly remembered the controls from the few times he’d flown Biggs’s skyhopper, so it wasn’t too difficult for him to get it off the ground.

He went slow at first, gradually increasing his speed as he got more used to the controls. A wide grin spread across his face as the ground began to blur below him, and he had to keep himself from laughing with joy. It wasn’t the fastest skyhopper around — he was already planning modifications to make it better — but right then, to Luke, it was perfect.

Circling back around to where Uncle Owen still stood, Luke could see his uncle waving, a proud smile stretched across his face.

◊◊◊

They were sending him away.

Ben sat by his bedroom window, staring through the glass and trying to hold back his tears. He didn’t want to leave, but Mom and Dad thought it would be better if he did. They were sending him to Uncle Luke’s academy, where he would learn to be a Jedi. For as long as he could remember, Ben had wanted to be a Jedi — to learn how to use the Force, and to fight with a lightsaber. He thought that, when the time came, he would be excited. But now that it was here, he just felt sad and afraid.

There was a quiet knock on his door. Ben didn’t respond, and a few moments later it slid open to reveal Dad standing in the hallway.

“You alright, kid?” he asked, hesitating in the doorway — Ben could feel how unsure he was.

He nodded, not looking at Dad as he quickly tried to blink away the tears. “I’m fine.”

There was a brief silence, and Ben could practically hear his father thinking over what to say. It was usually Mom who came and talked with him when he was upset, but she was away right now on some important senatorial business, and so the job had fallen to Dad.

“Why don’t you come downstairs?” he suggested finally. “Have something to eat? There’re leftovers, so you don’t have to worry about eating my cooking.”

Ben finally turned around. Dad looked uncomfortable and uncertain, but hopeful, and so Ben stood, nodding. Smiling, Dad threw an arm around his shoulders and tugged him along down the stairs to the kitchen. Ben sat at the table while he dug out the leftovers and reheated them, neither of them saying anything. He took the bowl offered to him, setting it down in front of him.  

Dad sat across the table from him, and they were both silent as they ate their stew. Ben wasn’t that hungry, and so he was mostly just pushing the meat and vegetables around his bowl. Finally, after several minutes, Dad let out a sigh and set his spoon down. 

“Ben,” he started, “I want you to know that Mom and I aren’t sending you to the Academy because we don’t love you.”

Ben shifted in his seat. “I know that,” he said.  

“I know you do, but I still think you need to hear it. We’re your parents, and we’ll always love you. We’re sending you to the Academy because that’s where you need to be. You’re… you’re a special kid, alright, Ben?” Dad pointed his spoon at him, his eyebrows raised, and Ben nodded. “You have a power that not many people do, and Uncle Luke’ll help you learn to control it. You’re a talented kid, but you won’t be able to do anything with that talent hanging around here. Do you understand?”

Ben nodded again. He did understand, really, he did; Uncle Luke was the greatest Jedi in the entire galaxy, and he was the only one who could teach Ben to be a Jedi as well. But that didn’t make it any easier — he would still have to leave his parents behind. “I’m just…” He paused, running his teeth over his bottom lip. “I’m just afraid, and I’m… I’m gonna miss you and Mom.”

Dad stood with a sigh and walked around the table to where Ben sat, kneeling beside his chair. “C’mere, kid.” He opened his arms, and Ben practically fell into them, wrapping his own arms tight around his father’s neck. He finally let himself cry then, the tears leaking from his closed eyes as he buried his face into Dad’s shoulder.

“I’m gonna miss you, too, bud,” Dad said, rubbing his hand up and down Ben’s back. “So will Mom. And between you and me, I think Chewie’s gonna miss you a lot more than he lets on.”

A small smile tugged at Ben’s lips, and he sniffed. “I’ll miss him, too,” he said.

Dad continued, “And you know what? I think that once you get there, you’ll be too busy having fun to miss any of us. You’ll make lots of new friends, and learn all sorts of fancy magic tricks.”

“They’re not magic tricks, Dad,” Ben argued, leaning back to wipe the tears off his cheeks.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Dad stood, pulling Ben up with him and setting him on his feet. “Point is, you’re gonna love it there. And if, after a few weeks, you don’t… just let me know, and I’ll swing by to take you away from all those crazy wizards. Alright?” He smiled, brushing away a few strands of hair that had fallen in front of Ben’s eyes.

“Alright.” Ben nodded. He still wasn’t entirely sure about leaving home and going to the Academy — thinking about it still left a curling knot of fear in the pit of his stomach — but he felt a bit better about it now. At least he knew Dad wouldn’t make him stay there if he hated it.

“Now, why don’t you finish your dinner—“ Dad shot him a mischievous grin “—and then I’ll teach you how to play sabacc.”

Ben’s eyes widened. He’d wanted to learn to play sabacc for as long as he could remember, but Mom never let him — she didn’t like the idea of teaching him to gamble. But Dad was a master sabacc player, and if there was anyone to learn from, it was him. “Really?” he asked, unbelieving.

Dad nodded. “Yeah, why not? You can teach all the other little Jedi kids how to play — just don’t tell your mother, or your uncle.”

Ben smiled, so widely his cheeks hurt, and he scrambled back onto his chair, desperate to finish eating so they could start. “Thanks, Dad,” he said, stuffing a spoonful of stew into his mouth. “You’re the best.”

Dad laughed, ruffling Ben’s hair and tangling up his dark curls. “No problem, bud,” he said.

◊◊◊

Rey ran down the temple steps, her arms spread wide as her feet smacked against the worn stone. It was a bright, beautiful day outside — the sun was shining, the sky was blue, and groups of students were gathered in the temple’s yard, practicing or meditating or simply talking. With a quick glance behind her, Rey skipped the last few steps and bolted across the yard, ducking and weaving between the students. Many of them called out of her, waving, and she just flashed them a smile, too busy to stop and actually say hello.

She was almost to the other side of the yard when two hands reached out, grabbing her under her arms and lifting her up into the air. She let out a surprised cry, twisting around to find Papa looking at her with an amused smirk on his face.

“What are you up to, my little troublemaker?” he asked, setting her back onto the ground but keeping a firm grip on her shoulders.

Rey gave him her most innocent smile. “Nothing,” she said. “Just running.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be with Piani?” Papa raised one questioning eyebrow.

Rey’s smile turned into a frown, and she stuck out her tongue. “No. She’s boring. We never do anything _fun_.”

Papa gave her a warning look, but Rey stared back defiantly, ready to stand by what she said. The crèche _was_ boring — she wanted to learn how to fight, like Ben and the other students, not sit around listening to old tales about Jedi who died hundreds of years ago.

“You can’t just run off,” Papa said, and Rey’s scowl deepened. “What if something bad happened?”

“Nothing bad can happen here!” Rey argued. Papa’s academy was the safest place in the galaxy — it had its own _planet_ , and it was full of Jedi, the greatest warriors to ever exist. _And_ it had Papa, the best Jedi of them all.

Papa sighed, loosening his grasp on her shoulders. “You shouldn’t be so anxious to grow up, little one,” he said. “You’ll get there one day.”

Off in the distance, someone started calling Rey’s name. She looked back towards the temple, and saw Piani on the steps, scanning the yard. Letting out a little squeak, she made to run off again, but Papa quickly pulled her back towards him. “Over here, Piani!” he called, waving with his free arm. “I’ve got her!”

Piani visibly exhaled in relief. She lifted her long robes, quickly scurrying down the rest of the stairs and hurrying across the yard towards them. “Master Skywalker!” she said, panting when she finally reached them. “I’m so sorry! I sent the children out into the courtyard to play, and when I looked away for just a moment, she disappeared! It is entirely my fault. I should have been more watchful.”

Papa held up his hand, shaking his head. “No, no, Piani, I do believe the fault here lies with my daughter.” He gave Rey a pointed look, and she let herself look guilty — she did feel kind of guilty, if just a little bit. Piani was nice, even if she was really boring. Papa gave her a gentle nudge, and she took a step forward, bowing her head just like Papa taught her to do.

“I’m sorry, Piani,” she said.

Piani let out a deep sigh, and bowed back. “I accept your apology,” she said.

Papa patted Rey’s shoulder. “Very good,” he said. “But if you do this again, there will be consequences.” Rey had the good sense to look thoroughly chastised. To Piani, he added, “You can return to the other children now. I will look after her.”

“Are you quite sure, Master Skywalker?” Piani asked, crossing her blue hands in front of her. “I know you are very busy—“

“Yes, it’s alright, Piani,” Papa said. “I will return her to the crèche in an hour or two.”

Piani hesitated only a moment before bowing her head once again, her lethorns shifting against the fabric of her robes. Papa bowed in return, and then Piani was scurrying back across the yard, quickly disappearing up the steps and into the temple.

Papa released his grip on Rey’s shoulder. “Now, come with me, little troublemaker,” he said, starting off across the grass away from the temple. She hurried after him, reaching up and slipping her hand into his.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

Papa smiled down at her. “To the shipyard.”

He led them to one of the many small passenger shuttles that the Academy kept. They had fighters, too, and Papa had his own X-wing, but those were meant for only one person, not two. He strapped her into the chair behind the pilot’s seat, pulling on a headset as he sat down in front of the console. He spoke quickly into it, requesting permission for take-off as he started up the engine.

After signing off, Papa glanced back at her, a wide smile on his face. “Ready?” he asked, and she nodded.

Carefully, Papa lifted the ship up off the ground. Rey wrapped her hands around the straps that kept her in her seat, watching as the shuttle pointed its nose towards the sky. Papa gradually increased the speed until they were shooting up, up, up, faster than a falling star, and Rey laughed, unafraid even as the force of their take-off pushed her back into her seat.

“Where are we going?” she asked. Outside, the blue of the sky was slowly leaking away into the black of space, and the lush green planet of her home was falling away beneath them.

“I want to show you something,” Papa replied.

Rey watched as the stars blinked into existence all around them. Papa slowed the ship down and turned it around so that their planet hung in front of the viewport, two of its four moons visible as they circled around it. Rey leaned forward, staring at it in awe — she had seen it from space many times before, but she always found it beautiful.

Papa stood, unbuckling Rey and carrying her back to his seat, settling her in his lap. “Do you see the stars?” he asked, leaning forward and pointing out the viewport. She nodded, her eyes jumping from one glowing pinprick to another. “Each one of those is a sun, just like ours, and almost all of them have planets that orbit around them, like we orbit our sun.” He held up one finger and spun another around it, mimicking the way a planet circled its sun.

“It’s pretty,” Rey said. Her planet was green, covered in the thick forest that she had often explored, and dotted with the blue, misshapen forms of hundreds of deep, expansive lakes. They — her and Papa and everyone else at the academy — were the only ones who lived on this planet; it was theirs, and theirs alone.

“It’s very pretty,” Papa agreed. “We’re very lucky to be able to call this our home; that we can learn here and live in peace.” He paused, a smile crossing his face as he wrapped his hands around Rey’s. His were much, much bigger than hers, and rough with callouses — the hands of a fighter. “Once, a long time ago, the Jedi were the protectors of the galaxy. There were thousands of them, and they kept the peace throughout the Old Republic.” Rey knew all this already — she knew everything about the old Jedi. Papa talked about them a lot, though he always said that they were different from them: They were the new Jedi.

“One day,” he continued, “when there are more of us, we’ll continue with that mission. And you will be a part of it, too, if that is what you want.”

Rey nodded vigorously, her expression serious and determined. “I do.”

**Author's Note:**

> catch me on tumblr at leiaskywalkvr


End file.
